Key hold



N. FULTON Oct. 14, 1941.

KEY HOLD Filed Nov. 28, 1940 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY HOLD Nell Fulton, New York, N. Y.

Application November 28, 1940, Serial No. 367,649

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in key holds or the like and more particularly the invention appertains to a device adapted to be carried on the inside of a ladys handbag having hooks or other appliances for receiving and detachably carrying keys or the like articles which must be carried in such handbag for ready and immediate use.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved key hold or holding device for other articles which admits of economical manufacture through the employment of a single plate, preferably of a resilient metal out of which all of the various parts of the device may be provided in a single stamping operation except for the pin fastener which may be of the usual form.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved key hold or the like in which an improved form of keeper for the pin fastener is provided enabling the free end of the pin fastener to more readily find its home position in the keeper and to be retained in the keeper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tensioning member in conjunction with the pin fastener to the end that the pin fastener may be bowed or put under tension by said member for the purpose of more effectively holding the pin fastener in the keeper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved pin fastener for use in connection with a resilient keeper and tensioning member, the tensioning member and keeper cooperating respectively to guidethe free end and the intermediate portion of the pin fastener to a V shape groove in the keeper and a locking elevated tensioning groove in the tensioning member whereby in the home position of the pin fastener the same will be subjected throughout its length to a substantial degree of tensioning such as will effectively hold the pin fastener in the particular type of keeper herein provided.

The invention also contemplates certain improvements in the plate and the hooks forming the key holder and in the details of construction of the bridge and other parts of the tensioning member and in the bearing members and keeper, all cooperating to form a very simple device commercially economical and having a high degree of utility.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

to like 01' corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a. ladies handbag showing the'application in one position therein of an improved key hold constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the improved key hold, taken on an enlarged scale, apart from the handbag.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a similar section taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 4, and

Figure 8 is a plan view of the blank employed.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l0 designates generally a ladys handbag of a variety well known and in which are carried customarily compacts, handkerchiefs, coin purses, keys and other accompaniments of feminine attire.

It is the practice to carry the keys loosely in the bag where they gravitate to the bottom and can be produced when the occasion demands only by a process of fishing and selection which is inconvenient particularly where bundles are being carried and the house door is to be opened.

Within the bag and secured at an appropriate point where the keys will be accessible and easily detachable is fastened the plate H which is the supporting member of the improved key hold.

From the lower edge of this plate depend hooks l2 in any suitable number. For convenience of illustration I show two hooks, one extending downwardly from each lower corner portion of the plate II and folded upwardly upon the front or obverse face of the plate in the manner of hooks which are adapted to receive the keys G3.

The plate ll may be carried upon the handbag in any suitable manner but the resilient pin fastener I4 is found preferable. Such pin fastener has a 'T-head with trunnions l5 fitted to rotate in bearings 16 which are spaced apart to enable the pin fastener M to be received therebetween and to thus act as a stop against the axial movement of the trunnions I5 in such bearings It. In other words the pin fastener l4 retains the trunnion-s [5 in the bearings 16. These bearings 16 and the trunnions [5 form the fulcrum of the pin fastener 14 about which such pin fastener In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer may rotate at the back of the plate ll.

The free end of the pin fastener I4 is received in a keeper I! on the opposite edge of the plate II from the bearings I5. Such keeper is composed generally of the two mutual leaves or plates I8 having guide edges I9 which slope both downwardly and inwardly. The word downwardly is used with reference to the back of the plate II and the word inwardly with reference to a substantially V-shape notch formed in the keeper between the leaves I8 and between the guide edges I9. Such guide edges converge toward the V-notch 20. The only point of attachment of the keeper I! with the plate I I is the web 2| by which the keeper is folded upon the plate. The free end of the keeper I1 is spaced from the back of.

material as the plate I-I' initiallyprojecting, down from. the lower edge. of. the plate between, the hooks IZJand being bendable upon-the; rear or reverse face of the plate at a position intermediate the ends of the resilient pin; fastener Id. The tensioning member has an elevated groove 23 to receive the intermediate portion of the resilient pin fastener I4. Inclined walls 24 converge toward the elevated groove 23. Such elevated groove 23 and. the, inclined walls 24 at the opposite sides thereof together form a bridge which being of inherently resilient metal has a resilient. motion toward and'from the back of the plate I I in accompaniment to theresilient movement of the pinfastener I4. This resilient movement of the tensioning member is enhanced by the fact that itsfree end. is not attached to the plate II but has a free sliding bearing on the back, of the plate II. For this purpose the free end 25, of such tensioning memberis rounded or curled outwardly away from: the back of the plate II. This rounded portion 25 enables the free end to. roll on the back of the plate as the bridge moves. in and out with respect to said plate; at the same time such free end 25 may slide along the facev of the plate II.

Apart from the resilient pin fastener I4, which may be. bought in the open market by established manufacturers of: such devices, the entire key hold is so constructed as to admit of its economical stamping in a single operation from any appropriate resilient metal stock. Such stamping or. blank is illustrated in Figure 8. In this figure the. hooks I2 and the tensioning member 22 are initially formed as: projecting from the lower edge of the plate II, while the bearing members It extend from one side, edge of the plate I I and the keeper II from the opposite edge;

Whereas the hooks I2 are foldedoutwardly of the front or obverse face of the, plate II, the hearing members I5, the keeper I! and the tensioning member 22 are all folded backwardly upon the reverse face of the plate: setting-up movements of the various-parts are easily and economically accomplished, the T head of the pin fastener M being inserted in place before the bearings I6 are rolled therearound. Thus the bearings I6 furnish not only bearings in which the trunnions I 5 may turn but such bearings retain the pin fastener I4 in place.

The bridge of the tensioning; member 2-2 has its highest part, namely the; groove"23 carried at These folding or fastener rides along the inclined wall 24 the an elevation away from the back of the plate II which is higher than the elevation from the plate of either the keeper I1 or the fulcrum of the pin fastener I4. Thus while the pin fastener is required to simultaneously move along an inclined wall 24 of the bridge and a guide edge III of the keeper, the free end portion of the pin fastener I4 will be constrained to move downwardly toward the plate II while the intermediate part of the pin fastener I4 is required by the wall 24 to ride outwardly of the plate II. This action bows the resilient pin fastener I4 and places it under tension. This tension is accelerated or increased by the fact that the bridge itself is resiliently supported. As the pin reaction will cause the bridge to be lowered and thus set up greater tension therein. In the same way as the free end portion of the pin fastener I4 moves along a guide edge I9 toward the V notch 20 the reaction of the movement of the pin fastener will cause the-keeper IT to tend to fold upwardly away from the plate I-I thus placing the keeper I'I under tension and causing the firm interlocking of the pin fastener and keeper when such-pin fastener arrives opposite the V notch- 20. At this stage the pin fastener andthe keeper will both snap together and this action will be furthered andincreased by the resilient action of the depressed bridge in attempting to regain its normalform. Of course the resiliency of the pin fastener I4 itself willsimultaneously contribute to theseresults both in the keeper and in the tensioning member 22 where the intermediate part ofthe pin fastener I4 will finally come or other devices supported by the plate II may be constantly and easily accessible for selectionand detachment.

'Along the upper edge 26 ofthe plate H the material is rolled inwardly to make a neat finish against the lining of the handbag to prevent an abrupt edge and to prevent the plate from gaping away from the lining of the bag such as would produce sharp edges to the hand in entering the bag and also provides a space between the plate and the lining of the bagin which other articles might be apt to be caught.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction anddesign of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A key hold comprising a plate, a-resilient pin fastener hinged to said plate, a keeper on the plate to detachably receive the free end of the pin, and a tension member on the plate intermediate the ends of the pin and extending trans.- versely of the pin, said tension member being of resilient material with one end affixed to the plate and the other free end curved to form a bearing against said. plate and with the intermediate part of the member forming a bridge in spaced relation from the plate. said member having inclined walls leading upwardly to the central portion of the bridge, said bridge having between said inclined walls a groove in alignment with the pin to receive such pin, such grooved portion being spaced from the plate a greater distance than said keeper or the pivot of the pin.

2. A key hold comprising a plate, bearing members carried by the plate in the back thereof, a pin fastener rotatably mounted in said bearing members, a keeper projecting from the edge of the plate opposite said bearing members, said keeper being folded over upon the back of the plate and comprising leaves for a V-notch therebetween and guide edges sloping toward said V- notch and simultaneously toward the back of said plate to guide the free end portion of said pin fastener into said V-notch, and a tension member projecting from the plate between said keeper and bearing members transversely of the pin and foldable over on the back of said plate with a free curved end adapted to rest slidingly on the back of the plate, said tension member formed into a bridge between said free curved end and the point of attachment of the tension member to the plate, said bridge having an elevated groove for receiving an intermediate portion of the pin fastener to place the same under tension, said bridge also having inclined walls at opposite sides of said elevated groove leading to said groove.

3. A key hold comprising a plate, a pin fastener pivoted at one end to said plate, a keeper projecting from the side edge of the plate to detachably receive the free end of the pin fastener and comprising a pair of pointed leaves having their adjacent inclined side edges joined to form a V- notch between the leaves, and having their other inclined edges sloping inwardly to said V-notch,

said keeper being folded over upon the reverse side of said plate and resiliently supported from the plate and said pointed leaves having their pivoted ends inclined toward said plate, the outer inclined edges of said pointed leaves sloping downwardly towards the plate and inwardly toward the V-notch formed by the inner inclined edges of the pointed leaves, and a tension member engaging the pin intermediate its ends and adapted to urge the pin into the V-notch in the keeper.

4. A key hold comprising a plate, a pin fastener pivoted at one end to said plate, a keeper projecting from the side edge of the plate to detachably receive the free end of the pin fastener and comprising a pair of pointed leaves having their adjacent inclined side edges joined to form a V- notch between the leaves, and having their other inclined edges sloping inwardly to said V-notch, said keeper being folded over upon the reverse side of said plate and resiliently supported from the plate and said pointed leaves having their pivoted ends inclined toward said plate, the outer inclined edges of said pointed leaves sloping downwardly towards the plate and inwardly toward the V-notch formed by the inner inclined edges of the pointed leaves, and a tension member engaging the pin intermediate its ends and adapted to urge the pin into the V-notch in the keeper, said tension member projecting from the plate between the ends of the pin and folded over on the back of the plate with one of its ends free, said tension member forming a bridge extending transversely of the pin and having an elevated groove to receive the-pin fastener, said bridge having inclined walls on opposite sides of said groove which lead to the groove and serve as guide surfaces for the pin.

NELL FULTON. 

